Battle of the Bands 2017: Acoustic night at Thornham

On Friday the Twisted Melon Battle Of The Bands goes full on acoustic and for the first time ever heads to Thornham.

Triston Finnis, of Twisted Melon, writes: “The venue is Shuck’s, the 2016 PRS Music Makeover Restaurant winner. I was at the launch earlier this month and it’s a unique and amazing new venue fusing great food and live music perfectly.

Fin H.J.

“This is the first of two acoustic heats in this year’s competition with three acts from each heat progressing to their own final with the eventual winner performing at Festival Too’s Lazy Sunday.

“We have an array of talent from across Norfolk for this opening heat, with a start time of 7.30pm.”

ARIA’S ECHO. Lynn-based Aria’s Echo are a duet of sisters whose harmony-based work has recently been likened to that of the Everly’s!! Blending effortlessly, it’s easy to forget, especially given the complexity of some of the harmonies, that Georgia and Maddi are only in their teens. They currently perform covers which are mainly folk-based although they mix it up a bit with some well known pop/soft rock numbers as well as their own material.

Both girls play a number of instruments: Georgia the piano, keyboard, clarinet, guitar and mandolin, and Maddi the keyboard, guitar and drums/percussion.

Jonty Tan

JONTY TAN. The 32-year old Jonty Tan is a Norwich-based singer/songwriter and director of music at the Langley Preparatory School at Taverham Hall. He is responsible for the amazing charity song Not Afraid written in response to the Paris Charlie Hebdo tragedy. The song raises funds for Norwich charity Nelsons Journey which supports bereaved children. Jonty plays all instruments on the track.

The musician describes his sound as a mix of elements similar to Coldplay and Mumford and Sons.

ISSY SMITH. Isabella Rose Smith (her full name) hails from West Norfolk and is a young singer/songwriter who covers a variety of artists but also writes her own material. Her influences are folk and pop.

Although Isabella is still at a young age she is an extremely accomplished musician and in the few years she’s been performing has played many gigs and festivals.

Lisa Ambrose

FIN H.J. Aged just 14, Fin is from Downham Market. He says: “I have had a guitar in my hand for as long as I can remember and music has always been my passion. I have been playing lead guitar for several years but only recently started singing when I found myself writing songs in my bedroom.

“Although I am playing acoustically at the moment I have a real varied taste in music and my main influences lie firmly in the rock scene. I have been playing in public since I was nine years old, jamming with friends and family but only now am I stepping up to the mic.”

WILL DAVIS. Will is a Norfolk-based teenage acoustic singer performing unusual takes on popular covers.

LISA AMBROSE. Originally from the Suffolk town of Bungay, Lisa was a late bloomer when it came to her music. In 2008 she started to write and perform her own music in a local Italian bar called “Casamia” which was based in Southwold. Soon after that she was signed to a small independent record label. In 2008 she entered into a Radio 1 competition called “Battle of the Bandstands” in Liverpool with Radio 1’s presenter and DJ “Rob De Bank” and she won it. She got the chance to open up for Mark Ronson in front of 2,000 people.

Issy Smith

Since then she has performed alongside musicians such as Pete Roe who performs and supports Laura Marling and the wonderful Scroobius Pip.